Thursday, 7 July 2011

Wow - it has been a heck of a long time since I last blogged. Sheesh, what can I say, life and work and families all take it out of you. Sorry if you regularly read this and haven't heard much from of late. An injury, subsequent surgery and enforced recovery have left me in the sidelines...

It has also helped me to discover something new as well though. Several years after just about everybody else I have finally got an iPhone. I really wasn't quite prepared for how game changing this device is. As such, and long after being fan of Chase Jarvis' Best Camera work, I have embraced iPhonography. The camera is not that good but with apps like instagram and hipstamatic the creative and sharing opportunities are simply endless. It has certainly added a new, instant edge to my 365 project and enabled me to capture shots when I least expect them.

I am probably preaching to the converted but it was a revelation to me! Samples attached...

Monday, 21 March 2011

Damn... the full horror of Japan is slowly becoming apparent as the days roll by.

We have all been horrified recently at the images from Japan following the huge earthquake and subsequent Tsunami. my thoughts and hopes go out too all those affected by this disaster and we can only hope that things are improving for them with regard to the problems they are having with their nuclear reactors.

I was having a discussion about the alarming regularity with which we hear about these types of things. Natural disasters, wars, unrest in the Middle East. Are things really so different now or are we truly in the age of information overload. With 24 hour rolling news we are subject to the full wonder and horror of the world and sometimes it feels as if it could be too much to bear. So many people have access to cameras on mobile phones, the internet, and sites like Facebook and Twitter that it could be said that everybody is now a journalist. In years gone by it could days or even weeks for the full picture to emerge following a disaster like the one we have just witnessed in Japan. And yet within hours we were able to see graphic images of the unfolding horror from amateur sources.

This must be incredibly difficult to deal with for those that produce the news. The stories come and go so quickly and nobody wants to be left behind. But equally it is difficult for us, the viewer, to process. It is very hard to imagine the suffering if you have not been subject to it but you can see it right there and it makes for uncomfortable viewing.

As expected the financial aftershocks of such an immense disaster have begun to ripple around the world. This is likely to continue for some time yet whilst Japan comes to terms with what has happened. The cost of reconstruction will be enormous. A world bank estimate today suggest that this could be as high as £145bn. No amount of money however will bring back the mothers and fathers, son and daughters, friends, lovers or neighbours lost forever. For

We often like to think of the control we have over our lives – we make our plans and dreams – and yet we are at the mercy of events far beyond our control. We wake each morning ready to go about our daily lives but we are truly unaware of what is in store for us. That is quite a scary thought and one brought home with great clarity by recent events.

I hope I never have to suffer such unimaginable horror first hand. Again my thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this disaster.

A truly special place - the Natural History Museum in London - photo opportunities around every corner. probably one of the grandest buildings in London - full of architectural wonder and interest. As for the contents - well - where do you start!

Slight different treatment to this one - I am getting the hang of monochrome in aperture now. A slow exposure shot - just over 3 seconds - and a put a slight blur on the immediate foreground for that miniaturisation effect.

Also... a slight re-edit of the London Eye shot following some kind tips about black and white in Aperture 3.

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Days 64 and 65. I managed to get lots of shots of the London Eye. Somewhat cliched, it is hard to take something which isn't overly touristy or over the top architectural. I tried to make it more arty by choosing a softer blue sky with some higher contract clouds before the monochrome conversion. I am still struggling with B&W in Aperture 3. I just don't get the same quality results as I did even in Photoshop Elements.

Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Probably my favourite photographer of all time is the mighty Ansel Adams. his mastery of Black and White is truly genius to behold. I have been lucky enough to snap up the beautiful 400 photographs book as the publisher has just re-printed it. Every page takes my breath away. If you have never seen his work I urge you to try and have a look.

Even if you are not really into photography or landscapes or monochrome please just do a Google image search on 'Tetons and the Snake River'. I defy you not to think that this is a truly special image and something that propels this craft of ours into the highest realms of art.

He inspires me to try and achieve greater pictures. When I look at taking a landscape style shot I always think of what Adams would have done.

A master of monochrome - he truly understood that what makes a black and white image is that black should be just that - black and white should be white. The true mastery came with the subtle graduations in between.

A slight departure to project one for these days - two very different images both taken with a cameraphone. I wanted to get away from the quality of the DSLR and use just what I had to hand. It feels so much more spontaneous in an almost photojournalistic way - it really is F8 and be there. No real settings to speak of. Just composition and snap. It is easier and harder all at once to get a good picture.

The first picture was just a mood shot - a bright early morning and the opportunity to take it just fell at the right time.

The next picture was very much inspired by Chase Jarvis' Best Camera principle. Just a random image - something that caught my eye - an odd composition of an odd subject - it just looked sort of... right.